Thursday, February 21, 2013
Next stop for Ruff
By Victoria Matiash
Lindy Ruff might not be unemployed for long. Freshly fired after 15 years behind the Buffalo Sabres' bench (replaced by Ron Rolston of the AHL Rochester Americans), Ruff could be entrenched as head coach of another squad shortly -- if he's interested in taking on a new challenge right away. The general consensus amongst NHL coaches and general managers seems to be that the 53-year-old won't be wanting for opportunity.
"Lindy is going to have lots of choices," St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. "He’s a great coach. For me, he’s a really creative guy. I really saw that at the Olympics."
Outlining the New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Philadelphia Flyers (an admitted long shot) as organizations with a potential interest in the "experienced and respected coach", ESPN.com's Craig Custance suggests Ruff could also land with the Winnipeg Jets.
Craig Custance
Jets' potential interest in Ruff"... Under the current tenure of Claude Noel, there have been rumblings in Winnipeg that the team is still struggling with establishing an identity since the franchise moved north from Atlanta. Bringing in a powerful voice like Ruff would immediately change that. After struggling on the road last year, the Jets have been surprisingly weak at home (3-5) in what was one of the toughest buildings to play in last season. Ruff is a good Western Canadian, which would play well in Winnipeg ..."
